Students, parents angered over SAT test curve

Some students and parents in Connecticut say that they are disappointed over last month’s SAT grading system.

So many students did well on the test that it was graded with a steep curve. This meant that students who thought they did well actually got lower scores. Many are now calling for an adjustment with an online petition and Twitter hashtag #RescoreJuneSAT.

The SAT test is graded by the College Board. The board says that it will not regrade the exams.

"While we plan for consistency across administrations, on occasion there are some tests that can be easier or more difficult than usual,” a spokesperson said in a statement. "This is why we use a statistical process called equating. Equating makes a sure a score for a test taken on one date is equivalent to a score from another date."

This means that a single incorrect answer can actually count as two or three wrong answers on a particular test. One question can drop a student’s score by 30 points. The College Board says that this is to ensure fairness.

But students and parents are posting on social media that they do not think that this is fair.

“My child got one question wrong on the Writing & Language sub-section and received a 36 of 40. That is a 40 POINT DROP for one question wrong. Does that seem right?” said one parent.

“We did not ask for an easy test and we shouldn't be punished for taking one. I guarantee the August SAT is extremely difficult because you are going to overcompensate,” said a student named Dash.

The August SAT is scheduled for Aug. 25. There is no way to know how the test will be graded until it is taken.